New Parkinson's disease mobility trial needs volunteers – could you help?

07.02.2025

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in North Wales, who have slow mobility, are being sought for an important UK trial.

The Health Board’s neurological physiotherapy and research teams are looking for volunteers who are interested in trialling an existing treatment used with multiple sclerosis and stroke patients, to assess whether it could aid the mobility of those with Parkinson’s disease.

Called functional electrical stimulation (FES), the treatment involves wearing a small device on the user’s leg which delivers an electrical impulse to nerves. This effectively moves leg muscles and, hopefully, will improve the gait of the user. People with Parkinson’s disease can have trouble with walking due to slow movements (bradykinesia), freezing and falls.

Not only has the device worked for many stroke patients but it has worked in a small study of PD patients too. The new study, called STEPS II, is looking to confirm whether it’s a useful treatment for bradykinesia, how it works and if it has any other potential benefits.

Julia Roberts, a clinical research specialist officer with the Health Board, revealed the team in North Wales is looking for patients to populate the study.

She said: “Our goal within the research department in BCUHB is to ensure today’s research makes a difference to tomorrow’s care. Every week, hundreds of people in Wales help with health and social care research. Good research helps us find new treatments and improve services.

“Our target for BCUHB is to recruit 24 patients into the STEPS ll study. The research and development team within BCUHB are currently working with the neurological physiotherapy department to support this.”

The team is looking for patients like Nigel Blackwood, who lives in Llandudno. He first went to his GP because he noticed he was getting some tremors in his hands in late 2019.

His GP observed how he was walking and referred him to a consultant, only for the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to delay Nigel’s appointment. He eventually attended later that summer and was booked for a brain scan.

He was subsequently diagnosed with PD and Nigel’s own research convinced him he’d had several symptoms since about 2018, when he had started walking more slowly and noticing stiffness in his limbs.

He said: “For me it was, ‘Oh, that explains what's wrong with me’. That's what I thought. I now know what that is, why I've gone stiff and why I can't bend so much. My balance wasn't quite what it used to be - and then the tremor. It all made sense.”

Nigel said he has lost some strength, meaning DIY tasks he would have normally taken on are now out of bounds.

However, he has gained a lot of comfort through a support group based in Llandudno Junction where members swap experiences and information about coping with the neurodegenerative disease.

PD is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain which secrete the dopamine. The chemical acts as a messenger between the brain and nervous system, helping to coordinate body movements. Losing these nerve cells (or neurons) causes the tremors and stiffness, as well as the bradykinesia (slow movement). PD can also affect swallowing and speech.

At present there is no cure but treatments such as physiotherapy, medication and in some cases surgery, can help relieve symptoms and maintain a good quality of life.

The hope is the STEPS II trial will demonstrate there is another weapon in the fight to maintain the confidence and independence of those with the disease.

Nigel found out about the study in conversation with his physiotherapist and decided he wanted to join, so he could potentially help others with the condition.

He said: “My physio at Llandudno General Hospital, Leigh, emailed me saying I might be interested in the trial because I had some of the right symptoms.

“I’ve tried various things, which didn’t really work for me. It seems to me Parkinson’s is a spectrum condition. There isn’t going to be one silver bullet that says ‘oh, it’s done’. You have to find things to manage certain conditions.

STEPS II - University of Plymouth

“I’m hoping it is something to help people walk, or help me walk a bit better, because I don’t walk a huge amount. It’s a bit of a challenge.

“You have to concentrate more. It’s no longer quite as natural as it used to be. In the group I go to, half a dozen people have fallen over in the last six months.

“It might help find answers to some people’s problems. So that’s really why I decided to get involved.”

The trial is a randomised controlled trial, meaning those taking part will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group will get their usual care, acting as aa control group for the study.

The second group will receive the FES and their usual care for a period of 18 weeks. The whole trial will last for 22 weeks.

If you have Parkinson’s disease and think you would be suitable for this study, or would like further details, please contact either:

claire.watkins4@wales.nhs.uk, or

julia.roberts2@wales.nhs.uk

Those taking part in the study will be paid for their time and will receive expenses while participating in the trial.

Note:

Only eight sites across the UK have been selected to conduct the trial, by recruiting a total cohort of 234 people with the disease. Aside from ourselves, they are:

Salisbury NHS foundation
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital and Burton NHS foundation Trust
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Keep up to date with health board news by signing up to our mailing list Sign up (es-mail.co.uk)